Admissions

Undergraduate

Prospective students interested in Undergraduate study should apply directly to the University.

University Undergraduate Admissions Page

Graduate

Applying for graduate study is a two part process.  Prospective students should both apply to the University of Alabama Graduate school and submit an application packet to the English Department for one of the programs listed below.

Part 1: Apply to the Graduate School

Applications to the Graduate School can be completed online via this link or a paper application can be requested:

Graduate School Online Forms

The Graduate School's application process consists of:

• completing an online application form (make sure to complete the "Specialty Area" field: Literature, Renaissance, Composition/Rhetoric, Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Applied Linguistics-TESOL)
• uploading a Statement of Purpose (the first line should state desired Specialty Area in the English department)
• submitting official GRE score (subject test not required / GRE not required for Creative Writing)
• paying the application fee
• mailing two (2) official copies of transcripts
• having three (3) referees submit letters of recommendation. Applicants should enter their referees' institutional email address and encourage them to upload their letters online. *Please note that the Graduate School cannot accept letters via Interfolio. If letters cannot be submitted online, please send them by regular mail to the Department of English address listed in Part 2 below.*

Various deadlines appear on the Graduate School application chart; however, any applicant wanting to be considered for a full graduate teaching assistantship from the English department should complete the entire application process by December 31.

Part 2: Apply to the English Department

The English Department offers Master's and Doctoral degrees in the following programs. Please consult each program's page for further information:

MA/PhD in
          Literature
          Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies
          Composition and Rhetoric
MFA in Creative Writing
MA-TESOL Program in Applied Linguistics

The application process starts October 1 and the package must be postmarked no later than December 31 for consideration for a full assistantship. For each of the above programs, please send the following in a single, large envelope to the address below:

Department of English
Attn: Graduate Studies Admissions
University of Alabama
Box 870244
Tuscaloosa, AL
35487-0244

• The completed Department of English Graduate Applicant Information Cover Sheet.
• A copy of your Statement of Purpose (the first line should state desired Specialty Area in the English department).
• A copy of your transcripts (this set may be unofficial and/or photocopied; transcripts for the Graduate School must be official).
• A writing sample. Normally this should consist of 10-20 pages of critical writing for the MA and 20 pages for the PhD program. The writing sample is usually an essay written for an upper-level English course or an excerpt from a senior or master's thesis. For the Strode Program, the writing sample should be on some aspect of English Renasissance Literature. For Creative Writing, the writing sample should consist of 20-30 pages of prose fiction or nonfiction prose, or 10-20 pages of poetry, or a substantial representation of your writing in multiple genres.
• To verify receipt of materials, include a self-addressed, stamped postcard or envelope (optional). To verify the Graduate School's receipt of materials, applicants should view missing check marks for each item through the online application link.
• Any letters of recommendation that referees have not submitted online may be mailed directly to the department; however, applicants should strongly encourage their professors to respond to the online request (via the Graduate School's system, not Interfolio).

Conditions of Admission

For non-native English speakers applying to the MA-TESOL program, a score of at least 100 (IBT) with a minimum score of 24 in both the speaking and writing sections.

For the PhD program, successful applicants normally have a GPA of 3.5 or better in master's or equivalent graduate work.

For all other programs, consult the Graduate School's minimum requirements.

Questions About Graduate Admissions?

All graduate applications in the English department are processed by Jennifer Fuqua. She can be reached at jfuqua@as.ua.edu.